LA Angels: Dylan Bundy and Jose Quintana make underrated 1-2 punch

Heading into the offseason, the biggest area of concern for the Angels was pitching. That still could be the case, but for right now, it looks like Dylan Bundy and Jose Quintana are poised to carry the Halos rotation in 2021.

2021 Spring Training Statistics:

• Bundy (2 starts): 6.2 IP 0 ER 2 H 2 BB 3 SO
• Quintana (4 starts): 9.2 IP 0 ER 6 H 6 BB 11 SO

It’s a small sample size and it’s only spring training, but so far, both pitchers have been lights out. Bundy was named as the team’s Opening Day starter on Monday, and it’s safe to assume Quintana will follow as the No.2 man with his recent performances.

Angels: Dylan Bundy and Jose Quintana could be one of the leagues’s best duos.

Neither of these pitchers is overpowering, but their ability to mix and execute their stuff will allow them to eat a lot of innings and put the Angels in a position to win games. The downside is none of the Halos starters throw hard. Shohei Ohtani has shown this ability and will be used in a six-man rotation, but it’s a lot to count on for a full season, given his injury history.

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So unless the Angels get their overpowering pitcher via trade, Bundy and Quintana will do the heavy lifting.

Bundy, 28, had a career-revival last summer in Anaheim. The right-hander posted career-bests in ERA (3.29), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.24), and WHIP (1.036) through 11 starts. The next step for Bundy in becoming an elite starter is to work deep into games and eclipse the 200 innings mark in a full season. Bundy recorded outs beyond the sixth inning just four times last season and was on pace for just under 180 innings in 30 starts.

Quintana is coming off a 2020 campaign where he appeared in four games and made just one start for the Cubs. The 32-year-old’s best playing days were from 2013-2016 with the White Sox, where he posted four consecutive seasons of 200-plus innings and a 3.35 ERA. He won’t throw 95-plus MPH fastballs, but at his best, Quintana will throw a quality start and give his team a chance to win.

Another motivating factor for these pitchers is the contracts they will be playing for next season. Both Bundy and Quintana are on one-year deals and entering a stage of their careers where teams in need of starters could commit long-term security.

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As for the rest of the Angels starting staff, Alex Cobb has pitched well, but Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning have struggled this spring. The bottom of the rotation doesn’t need to dominate, but the Halos cannot afford to have bad starts on a weekly basis.